- The Queen Elizabeth 2 has become the 1st cruise ship
in 2007 to suffer a serious outbreak of norovirus illness, with about 16
per cent of passengers sickened since the ship left Southampton, England
on Tue 2 Jan 2007.
-
- Members of the United States Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention will board the ship on Fri 19 Jan 2007 in Acapulco, Mexico.
So far, 263 passengers and 27 crew members have shown signs of norovirus
infection, a common ailment that causes vomiting and diarrhea for 48 to
72 hours.
-
- The Cunard Line ship is on a 106-night world cruise that
included a stop in Fort Lauderdale last week. After a dockside meeting
with Queen Mary 2, the 2 ships left Port Everglades on 10 Jan 2007 on separate
itineraries.
-
- Cunard spokesman Brian O'Connor said the norovirus outbreak
began before the ship reached Fort Lauderdale on its trans-Atlantic trip
to New York. Cases began declining after it left New York. Four passengers
were still sick on Thu 18 Jan 2007, he said. O'Connor said Cunard has no
plans to interrupt the QE2 world cruise for disinfection, although special
cleaning rules have been followed since the outbreak began.
-
- "We have no requests from passengers to disembark
based on the situation," O'Connor added.
-
-
- _____
-
-
- (This is a situation which could promote the global spread
of norovirus
- variants. - Mod.CP)
-
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD
- Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
- Univ of West Indies
-
-
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
- http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php
- Also my new website:
- http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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